Pipe wrench



Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PIPE WRENCH Vincent Barton,

Application April 28,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to pipe wrenches, and it is primarily an objectof the invention to provide'a wrench of this kind which is of a quickadjusting type.

It is also an object of the invention to pro-1 vide a wrench of thiskind comprising an elongated shank carrying a jaw together with ahousing movable along said shank and a movable jaw travelling with thehousing, said housing and shank having coacting means for adjusting themovable jaw with respect to the jaw of the shank.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved pipewrench whereby certain important advantages are attained and the devicerendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient andadvantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitelyclaimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein:-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a wrench constructed inaccordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the wrench as illustrated inFigure 1 with lower portions of the housing in section;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 with certain of the parts insection;

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional View taken substantially on the line 44of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 55of Figure 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, my improved wrench comprisesan elongated shank I having its jaw end portion 2 transversely enlargedfor extension beyond a front edge of the shank I. The jaw end of theshank l is disposed on a predetermined angle with respect to the shank Iand said jaw end is provided there'- along with a kerf or recess 3 whichsnugly receives a flange 4 formed with and depending from the transversecentral portion of a jaw plate 5, the outer or working face 6 of whichbeing serrated or otherwise roughened. This jaw plate 5 is held in placeby a pin 1 extending through the jaw extremity of the shank l and theflange 4. A front edge of the shank I at a point immediately adjacent tothe enlarged portion 2 and for a desired distance therealong Huntington,Ind.

1936,'Serial No. 76,792

is provided with the teeth 8 to interlock with the teeth 9 providedalong a face of the clutch block W. I

This block NJ is snugly received between the free end portions of theside plates ll of a substantially U-shaped housing H and this clutch i I5 is of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the extremityof the pin I 4 within said openings [5. While this pin [4 serves to holdthe clutch block Ill in effective working position, yet the block Illhas limited play due to the increased diameter of the opening l5 justreferred to.

The back edge face I6 of the shank I from the jaw end thereof and for aconsiderable distance therealong is straight and in contact with thisstraight rear face I6 is a movable shank section H. The outer end of themovable shank section I? is formed with a kerf or pocket 18 in which isreceived a reduced extension plate l9 carried by a second or outermovable shank section 28. Disposed through the plate I9 and the portionof the shank I! with which said plate interfits is a headed pin or bolt2! whereby the shank sections and 20 are pivotally connected one to theother.

The adjacent pivoted end portions of the shank sections H and 2B arestraddled by the housing H and the headed pin or bolt 2! is alsodisposed through the adjacent portions of the side plates H of thehousing H.

The outer end portion of the shank section 20 is formed to provide alaterally disposed jaw 22 to overlie the jaw end of the shank I. Thisjaw 22 has associated therewith a jaw plate 23 having its outer face 24serrated or otherwise roughened. This plate 23 carries side marginalflanges 25 which lap the side faces of the jaw 22 so that the plate 23can be effectively maintained in applied position by the pin 26 disposedthrough said flanges 25 and jaw 22. The shank sections l1 and 20 arenormally maintained in longitudinal alignment by a flat spring 21, oneend portion of which bearing against the rear edge face of the shanksection 20 and the plate I9 while the opposite end portion of the spring21 is anchored to the rear face of the shank section I! by the clampingbolt 28 herein disclosed as threading into the shank section I! with itshead 28 having clamping contact with the spring 21.

The head 28' of the bolt 28 has threaded therethrough a shank or screw29. In direct contact with an end of this shank or screw 29 is the tipof a pointed head 30 carried by an end portion of an elongated bolt 3I.The upper portion of this bolt 3| is snugly but slidably disposedthrough the central portion of a pin 32 carried by and intersecting thespace between the plates I I of the housing H and positioned outwardlyof the shank sections I1 and 20. Surrounding this bolt 3| and interposedbetween the head 30 thereof and the pin 32 is a coil spring 34. Thisspring 34 is of such tension to maintain the point of the head 30 incontact with the shank or screw 29 to normally maintain the clutch blockID in looking engagement with the toothed edge face 8 of the shank I.

As is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the housing H isof such formation and dimensions to have movement transversely of theshank I and the shank sections I1 and 20 sufficient to disengage theclutch block II) from the shank I upon, of course, the requiredmanipulation of the housing and to facilitate this operation each of theside plates II of the housing is provided with the corrugations 35 toprevent slippage of the fingers when adjusting the wrench.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a pipewrench constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly welladapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which itmay be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that myinvention is susceptible of some change and modification withoutdeparting from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason Ido not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precisearrangement and formation of the severalparts herein shown in carryingout my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A wrench comprising an elongated shank having a jaw at one end, anedge of the shank being toothed therealong, the opposite edge face ofthe shank being straight, a movable shank section having contact withthe straight edge face of the shank, an outer movable shank sectioncarrying a jaw for coaction with the jaw at the end of the shank, ahousing straddling the shank and the adjacent end portions of themovable shank sections, a pin carried by and disposed through thehousing, said pin being also directed through the adjacent end portionsof the movable shank sections for pivotally connecting said sections oneto the other, a flat spring coacting with the adjacent end portions ofthe shank sections, means for securing an end portion of said spring toone of the sections, and a clutch block carried by the housing andhaving a toothed face for coaction with the toothed edge face of theshank, said housing having movement transversely of the shank a distancesuflicient to disengage the clutch block from the shank.

2. A wrench comprising an elongated shank having a jaw at one end, anedge of the shank being toothed therealong, the opposite edge face ofthe shank being straight, a movable shank section having contact withthe straight edge face of the shank, an outer movable shank sectioncarrying a jaw for coaction with the jaw at the end of the shank, ahousing straddling the shank and the adjacent end portions of themovable shanksections, a pin carried by and disposed through thehousing, said pin. being also directed through the adjacent end portionsof the movable shank sections for pivotally connecting said sections oneto the other, a fiat spring coacting with the adjacent end portions ofthe shank sections, means for securingan end portion of said spring toone of the sections, a clutch block carried by the housing and having a.toothed face for coaction with the toothed edge face of the shank, saidhousing having movement transversely of the shank a distance sufiicientto' disengage the clutch block from 'the shank, a pin intersecting thehousing outwardly of the movable shank sections, an elongated boltslidably disposed through said pin, and a spring operatively engagingthe pin and the bolt for maintaining the bolt in operative engagementwith the first named movable shank section to create a tension tonormally maintain the clutch block in locking engagement with thetoothed edge face of the shank.

3. A wrench comprising an elongated shank having a jaw at one end, ashank section for movement along the shank, an outer movable shanksection carrying a jaw for coaction with the jaw at the end of theshank, a housing straddling the shank and the adjacent end portions ofthe movable shank sections, a pin carried by the housing and directedthrough the adjacent end portions of the movable shank sections'forpivotally connecting said shank sections one to the other, a clutchblock carried by the housing for locking coaction with the shank, saidhousing having movement transversely of the shank a distance sufficientto disengage the clutch block from the shank, and means coacting withthe housing and the first shank section for normally maintaining theclutch block in operative engagement with the shank.

VINCENT BARTON.

